When it Hurts too Much
by mika zero-zero twenty-one
Summary: Oneshot. Claire asks the Doctor to marry her, but isn't prepared to have her heart crushed.


Yeah…this is my first posted HM fic! Yayness! It's kinda weird. I wrote it just because I felt like it. One-shot, I don't own Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. Peace!

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When it Hurts too Much

One-shot

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I knew what it was like to kiss, but not have sex. I knew what it was like to be politely rejected, but not have my heart broken. Well, I did. But not in such a graphic way. I knew what it was like to have your heart stepped over, but not to have it throw out a glass window from ten stories up. I knew how to live from rejection, but not from heartbreak.

We'd been going out for six seasons now. I could remember being close to his warmth, but not to his chill. He had helped me through so many things. I remember the one time I was too sick to leave my little home, and he came over to make sure I was okay. The next day, I had to help him recover. That had been our first kiss. It's hard to forget things like that. And finally, yesterday, the blue feather had come into the store. My heart had pounded so hard against my ribcage. I spent some of the money I was saving for Winter to buy it. How could I not? I ran next store, clutching it in my fingers, too happy to think.

I ran to his desk. He smiled at me. I think I'm the only one he smiles for. My heart thumped harder and harder. I smiled and held the feather out. He looked at it for a minute, took it in his fingers, twirled it around, then laid it on the desk. He sighed deeply and looked up at me.

"Claire…I can't say that I don't like you. I do. I just…don't feel that way about you. I didn't know you were so serious. I'm sorry, Claire. Maybe if…" He said. He stopped himself. I picked up the feather and walked out slowly. I walked calmly to the Sprites' home and asked them to work for me for the next week. They agreed happily. I then sulked back to my farm. It was raining. I was crying.

When I closed the door, I simply collapsed on the bed. I was sobbing. The blue feather was soaked. I held it in my hand as if it were something precious to me. I cried, and cried, and cried some more. The rain outside continued gently on.

Eventually, I ran out of tears. I didn't want to leave the bed. I didn't feel like cooking. I lay there, looking at the clock. It was only four-thirty. Zack would be by in thirty minutes to pick up the sweet potatoes, eggs, and milk. He'd leave the money in my mailbox, impervious to what had happened to me. I fell asleep, lulled by the pattering of the rain on my windows.

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When I woke up, my throat was sore and it was warm inside. I didn't feel, again, strong enough to leave my warm bed and make tea or something. Outside, rain was falling once again and I could hear the Sprites coming to begin their work. I seized the water bottle I kept near the bed and drank some of it. Sitting next to it was the blue feather. And next to that was a picture of me with Tim. I felt a fresh round of tears coming on.

I knew the meaning of heartbreak. This man had destroyed me. I felt like I'd left half my body at the Clinic, but there, it would only become worse. I ached inside to see his face, smiling at the camera. I clutched the blanket and cried into it. My nose was running something fierce. I guess I'd have to get out of bed now to get the tissue box, since it was over on the other side of the TV. I was still too weak to make something to feed myself with. I crawled back into bed and found myself falling asleep again.

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I woke up from a strange dream, drenched in cold sweat and my heart threatening to break my fragile rib cage. I felt even worse than before. I was burning up inside my own home. My body, off its own accord, broke into a coughing fit. It felt like someone was killing me from the inside out, slowly. I threw my blankets off and shuffled to go to the locked door. It was only drizzling outside now; I could see that much from my windows. I opened the door and breathed the fresh air. It felt nice, but after a few seconds, it was too cold and I closed it once more.

Turning back inside, I set my mind upon making tea. But I couldn't. My mind wouldn't focus on anything but Tim. Tim making me tea. Tim checking to see if my fever had gone down. Tim hugging me on the dock. Tim kissing me at the Full Moon Festival. Tim smiling for me.

Tim breaking my heart.

I coughed again and again as I sank into bed once more. The slim blue feather was crumpled from rain, tears, and a sleeping girl. I laid my head on the pillow. How long would I be here? Would I not be able to move on from this? I didn't want to think about it. My head hurt too much. So I fell asleep again.

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"Claire…Claire…can you hear me? Claire!" The voice was urgent. I could feel someone shaking me gently. I opened my eyes and coughed violently. My vision swam with the cough and migraine, then cleared. Tim was sitting next to me, holding me in his arms. I was too weak to cry, or even smile. I hadn't eaten in two days, and for one of them, I had been miserably sick. Tim held me at arms' length, then placed a hand to my forehead.

"You're sick," He said. "Come on, we've got to get you to the Clinic."

I fell in against him. Another coughing fit racked my poor body. It hurt every limb I knew of, and even some I didn't know. Somehow, I managed to cry. It hurt. Every single motion hurt. My nose gave a wretched honk. Tim laid me back onto the bed.

"Wait here. I'll be back soon, I promise. Don't come after me." Tim said. I felt no desire to go against this. I only nodded weakly. He threw the door open and ran out into the dull drizzle. The blue feather still lay next to my head. Maybe it kept me alive, kept me from going insane.

Ten minutes later, Tim burst through the door. He grasped a bag in both his hands. I wanted to get out of bed and hug him. I wanted him so badly. Slowly, he sat down next to me and helped me to sit up. He placed the thermometer under my tongue. Was this what I wanted? Yes, it was. I felt so happy. I went through with it.

"A hundred and two point seven! Claire, how long have you been in here?" Tim said, obviously shocked. "And when was the last time you ate or drank?"

"I've been in here since the day before yesterday, and that's the last time I had even a sip of water." I croaked out. He pressed me into his body. It wasn't to scold me. It was to scold himself. He kissed my forehead, then stood up.

"I'll make you some tea," Tim stated, matter-of-factly. "Your body may not be ready for anything more. I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't know that this was what would happen to you. But it doesn't matter know. I'll help to fix it."

I smiled to him. "It's my fault."

"Try not to talk. It'll only make things worse." He ordered, then handed me the steaming mug of tea. I held it in both hands before carefully taking a sip. Warmth spread to my entire body. Tim watched me drink. He ruffled my hair.

"I may go back on what I said before, Claire." He said, taking the mug and placing it on the table. He then lifted me from my bed and held me in his arms. This was ecstasy; this was pure and unrelented bliss. "I can't go without seeing your face. It hurts. And…"

"That's good enough." I said, kissing his cheek. A blush crept across his cheeks. "Now help me get better. I do need to take care of my animals."

He lifted the blue feather. "I accept your offer."

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FLUFF OVERLOAD! ((dies)) Leave a review or flame, I don't care! Thanks for reading!


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